


Head-On Collision

by Deadlybeautyblue



Category: Game Grumps
Genre: Dr Mario Dan Arin and Barry, I promise, It'll make sense, Two LoZ aus, but not really, dear god help me to be free of this, i was eaten by this au, listen, listen it makes sense, so just look at the summary, there's Shadow of the colossus Dan, there's a lot of alternates, there's just a lot of lore i wont be going into
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-16
Updated: 2016-10-08
Packaged: 2018-07-15 09:40:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 9,721
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7217296
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Deadlybeautyblue/pseuds/Deadlybeautyblue
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When universes collide due to an incompetent ocarina-wielding hero who somehow messed up a prophecy, things get crazy. It's never simple, and people are probably going to get injured, but at least it'll make an interesting story.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Begincedent

**Author's Note:**

> Before you read this you probably want to check out @legendofgrump on tumblr, I promise it'll make a lot more sense if you do so. If you do know what's going on, this'll be exploring the SotC and Dr. Grump sideplot that was brought up.

It started with the colossus. Dan and his troop of virus kids had been out running errands, and evading Brian when a low roar rumbled through the air, shaking Dan to his core. The ground shook repetitively, like footfalls of some immense being. "C'mon," Dan found himself saying, "I need to check this out."  
The ragged trio of viruses followed as Dan snuck closer. By the time they got to the meadow where the noise was coming from, Dan was sure. This was a colossus. And if he could kill it, he'd be one step closer to his Arin. That was worth the risk, surely. "What is that thing?" Asked virus-D, or as the other two called him, Danny. Dan looked back at his kiddos, the only people to befriend him in his time here. "Something I have to deal with," Dan said slowly, "Here, could you hold on to these for me while I go kill that thing?" He stripped off the gloves and gingerly passed them to Danny, making sure not to let their hands touch. Danny nodded seriously. "You'll come back, right?" Barry asked. "Yeah he will," Arin replied, "Dan's stronger than everything. He's going to beat that thing up and then we'll go get donuts, right Dan?"  
Dan smiled. "Of course." Anything for Arin. "Just make sure to stay back. I don't want you getting hurt." Three heads nodded seriously. Dan inhaled, and leapt over the small wall he'd been hiding behind. Nocking an arrow, he let it fly at the colossus, and charged into battle. For Arin, he thought, for Arin, and Arin and Danny and Barry. The colossus turned to face him, and Danny, for the first tine since he got thrown into this world, felt truly at home.


	2. How to kill large animals

Danny, hero of Hyrule, (but not this one, the other one) was not having a good day. His fairy, Arin, was flitting around his head, and generally freaking out. His counterpart, also a hero of Hyrule, (this one, not his Hyrule) also named Arin, said in a slightly panicked voice, "This is why I didn't want to mess with my ocarina. Because giant death monsters come through. And that one looks very death-y, don't you agree?" Danny did agree. This strange new creature was covered in thick silvery fur and intricate stonework. Or maybe it was bone? What looked like ribs and vertebrae extended from it's torso, but they seemed to be slate gray with hints of brown and there were crumbling engravings on their surfaces. If it was bone, it was unlike any Dan had seen before. It's arms were decked with loops of the same material, like bracelets or cuffs, matted fur sticking out from under them. It was vaguely humanoid, but it's legs were made of that strange rocky bone-like substance, and resembled hooves more than feet. It had eyes that looked ancient and pissed, only defined by an ornate mask. It was also huge. Like really big. Like how the h-e-double-hockey-sticks are we supposed to kill that thing big. "Yeah, I agree. And It's kinda our job to get rid of it." Arin let out an impressive string of curse words, ending off with, "And how, dearest Dan, do you suggest we kill that fucking mountain of a beast? Climb up it's back and hope we get lucky?"   
As Arin spoke, the beast turned away from them, slowly, almost dignified. It knelt to look into the woods, trying to find something. A small figure darted out from it's shelter beneath the trees and launched himself into the creature's beard. Dan sighed. Arin stared slack-jawed. "Apparently that's exactly what you should have been doing," came the commentary from Arin's fairy. "Oh, shut up Dan." 

As the two Hylian heroes watched, Dan tangled his hands into the fur of the colossus. He knew how to do this. He leapt up, and onto the thing's head, holding on as it shook, sending him whipping through the air. When that failed, the monster stilled, breathing heavily. Bracing himself with one hand and his legs Dan stabbed downwards. His blade sank into the faintly glowing symbol and smoke poured out. The colossus shook it's head again, furious and desperate to dislodge him. Dan held tight. For Arin, he reminded himself, and stabbed downwards once more. This was going to be a long fight. 

Back on the ground, Arin of Hyrule watched in disbelief. "That's the mountain goat guy up there. Where'd he learn to fight like that?" The answer came to him as soon as he said it, things clicking together in his mind as he watched. Dan was the one to vocalize it. "So that's what he meant when he said that things were easier to climb here. He climbs and kills giant monsters set on killing him."   
"Wow."  
"Yeah"  
They watched from afar until the beast roared one last time, and seemed to dissolve into heavy black smoke. The Dan who had been fighting it plummeted. Arin and Danny looked at each other and started towards him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a few more chapters written, but they need to be edited. Keep an eye out the next few days for updates!


	3. Perspective Jumps

Dan was falling, he was falling and the world closed around him as the dark, snake-like shadows arced towards his body. He hit the ground. A voice out in the distance called out for help, calling for him, pleading for him to get up, but the shadows stabbed into his body and Dan blacked out, the vague panic that had formed dying out as everything went black.

Arin and Barry fought as Brian yanked them backwards. "Danny, run!" Barry cried out. "Just go!" Said Arin. "We'll be fine! Go get Dan!" Brian shoved a gloved hand over Arin's mouth but it was too late. Danny took off, weaving through trees. A faint cry echoed out, "Dan! Dan get up! Brian's here!" before Danny disappeared entirely. Arin bit down hard on the offending hand, his sharp teeth making it through the glove and into Brian's skin. Barry stomped on the doctor's foot and scratched at the skin that was exposed between Brian's sleeve and glove. Already Brian could feel rashes forming, and he could tell his heartbeat was quickening, but somehow he found it in himself to drag his captures to his lab, fighting them every step of the way. He shoved them into their quarantine tubes with a little more force than necessary and slumped against the wall, heaving in breaths. He hated catching the A and B viruses simultaneously, but at least he had the cures nearby. As he went off to find it, he didn't notice the way the two viruses turned so they could look at each other, eyes wide and fearful. He just left, and Arin and Barry pushed weakly against the glass of their tubes. Both of them, though bruised and scared half to death, were relieved. At least Danny had gotten away.

Dan dreamed. It felt like a memory, him and his Arin sitting on a beach, a faint wind blowing. "You're my favorite, Danny, I bet you would go to the end of the world for me." Dan couldn't speak. When he tried to reach out towards Arin, the dream shifted, and he was standing in between Brian and the viruses. "I don't think you understand," Brian said, "They're dangerous, they shouldn't be out of the lab. You're putting yourself in harms way by protecting them. You'll get sick. Just give them to me, please."   
Dan felt a soft tug on his tunic. A younger Arin looked up at him with wide eyes. "To the ends of the world, Arin," Danny found himself saying. The wind picked up and when he turned his eyes back to Brian, a colossus stood there instead. The words echoed around him. "To the ends of the world." Then a voice shattered the dream. "Dan! Please wake up, please, wake up Dan." The world faded out and Dan opened his eyes. For a second he thought he saw himself from years ago, when he lost Arin. But no, it was Danny. Dan sat up stiffly. Danny gasped. "You're awake! He took Arin and Barry and was going to take me but I got away and you weren't waking up so I dragged you here and I don't know what to do and," here Danny gulped for air, tears streaming down his face. "I miss them so much."  
Dan felt sick. He'd promised to watch over these kids and he hadn't. Danny wiped his eyes and Dan saw that he was wearing an extra pair of gloves over his fingerless blue ones. "I didn't want to infect you so i put these on and tried to carry you home but I couldn't and,"  
"Shhhh. It's going to be ok." Dan took a mental inventory. He still had his bow and but he'd lost some arrows, his sword was half out of it's sheath but otherwise fine, and although he felt terrible, he'd traveled for weeks with worse injuries. "Ok. We're going after Arin and Barry, okay? We'll get them back and then we'll tell them stories about how awesome we are."  
Danny nodded slowly. "Ok"  
Dan smiled. "Let's go home. And then we'll go from there. I promise, I'll go to the ends of the earth for you guys, ok? So no matter what happens, I'll protect you"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DELETED SCENE  
> As the heroes of time approached the body of the fighter, one of the viruses beat them to it. He knelt shaking him, wearing oversized gloves on his hands. He looked up and scowled at them. "If you get any closer I'll infect you, just watch me, I will, I promise, so don't come any closer."   
> The Hylians decided to call it a day.


	4. That's the stuff (The sad stuff)

By the time Dan and Danny had made it back to the camp set up in the shadow of a cliff, Danny had quieted, although the silence was shaky and he still refused to remove Dan's gloves. Dan only stopped briefly to gather up basic supplies: a handful of arrows to replace his lost ones, bandages, and after a momentary hesitation, two apples. He offered one to Danny, who took it, and started eating the other. He was no use to anybody on an empty stomach. They kept to wooded paths. The lab was a only a short while away, but Dan didn't want to push Danny. If he was by himself, he wouldn't have stopped until he got there. There would be nothing and no one who could stand in his way. But he had Danny, and Danny had lost the only people that could be called his family. When the sun had dipped below the horizon, they stopped for the night. Dan managed to hunt some wild chickens for dinner. As they settled down to sleep, Dan kept his hand on his bow. If they got jumped, he wanted to be able to protect Danny. As Dan waited, listening for any sound that might signal an attack, he slowly became aware of a soft snuffling noise coming from Danny. He was crying, but it was so soft that if Dan wasn't straining his ears, he wouldn't have noticed. So Dan did what he could. He pulled Danny towards him, letting his small doppelgänger cry into his chest. Dan wrapped his arms Danny, not caring about the inevitable infection. What Danny needed was a hug, and Dan could provide that. After a while, time was difficult in the dark undergrowth of the forest, Danny fell asleep clutching at Dan's chest. Eventually, an arm protectively shielding Danny, Dan fell asleep as well.

Arin was sick of this. He was so tired, so, so tired, he'd fought against Brian all the way back to the lab, even after it was apparent it wouldn't do anything. He'd fought even after Barry had given up. He just wanted to make Brian bleed, to make him hurt, but that just seemed impossible. Brian just shook off whatever Arin tried. At least Danny had gotten away. Arin, floating in his pristine glass tube shot a look at Barry. Barry had closed his eyes, but wasn't asleep, just waiting for the inevitable rounds of tests that would determine if the pills developed were still functioning at the best capacity. Arin scowled. It didn't matter if Arin was tired, he still needed to get out. He didn't want to think about the empty tank on his other side. If they got out, Brian wouldn't have time to track Danny down. If they got out... Arin made a fist and slammed it against the glass. He could do this. He was going to save himself and Barry and then Dan would be able to protect them again. Arin pounded his fist down again. Just one glass tube. How hard could it be?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let the pain train begin.


	5. Things will never be the same. (I've applied too much angst to this fic)

By the time Dan and Danny broke camp and started closing in on the lab, Dan had definitely noticed a slight chill running up his spine. He'd accidentally caught the D-virus enough times to know the symptoms, but he disregarded them for now. There'd be time for it later. Right now, he and Danny overlooked the lab in all it's white, pristine, completely out of place in a forest, glory. It was a maze inside, designed to keep viruses in, and thieves out. Dan turned to Danny and said, "Okay, here's what we'll do. You know this place pretty well, right?" Danny nodded in affirmation. "That's great. Your job is finding Arin and Barry and getting them out and away. I'll distract Brian until i know you're out, and then I'll meet you back at home. Are you okay with that?"  
Danny's face set with determination. "I can do that."

Brian had just gathered everything he needed to do the tests when the thud of the storeroom door opening startled him. Acting on instinct, he whipped the beaker of chemicals he was holding at the intruder. It hit Dan squarely in the sword arm. Dan scowled at him over the table in the middle of the room, closing it slowly so he could prevent Brian from getting into the lab proper. Brian couldn't help but once-over this man, who had several visible bruises, clothes that have been worn until they're ragged, chemical burns on his skin, and who was shivering but still holding his sword. Still, Dan looked at him like he's going to cut him down to protect the holding tanks. He was seriously shivering. The room wasn't that cold, was it? He kept fidgeting, eyes darting around the room. Suddenly it made sense. "You're infected with the D-Virus." Now that Brian's looking, he can tell it's still a mild case. Probably contracted within the last day. Still, it's shockingly obvious, and if Brian hadn't been so intent on stopping the viruses from being taken, again, he would have noticed it immediately. Dan eyed him suspiciously. Brian scooped up a replacement vial of chemicals and asks, "Can you leave? I still have a virus to track down and-"  
"No."  
Brian had had enough. "Why! Why do they matter to you so much? You've been infected time and time again, and you still protect them. Just, why?"  
Dan just smiles, and readjusts his grip. It's a bittersweet smile, and he knows it. "I don't think I can lose anybody else."  
Brian sighs. Before he can answer, an alarm sounds deep in the complex. The distraction costs him. Within moments Brian was pinned against the wall. Glass shattered as his tray hit the floor. "I will choose their safety over mine. Every. Single. Time."  
Dan is inches from Brian, and it is so obvious that Dan's in pain, his arm is unnaturally red, he has bruises all over him, and he's still suffering from infection. He's breathing raggedly, and there's fresh bloodstains on his tunic. "If I can't bring my Arin back, the least I can do is protect the others." That's the last thing Brian hears before Dan knocks him unconscious.


	6. Can't think of a witty title. Sorry.

Danny hoisted himself up to a windowsill. The last time they'd escaped, Arin had busted the window, and it looked like Brian had just boarded it up instead of fixing it. The thick, strong material of Dan's gloves kept the splintes from piercing his hand as Danny bashed at the wood, and kept his hands safe from glass shards as he wriggled through the gap he'd made. He dropped to the ground. As long as he kept away from the entrance, and as long as Brian hadn't moved the quarantine tubes, everything should work out fine. Dan had said so. Danny started running. He ran through the halls, occasionally checking labs and observation rooms until he entered the heart of the complex. 

To anyone but the three viruses and the scientists that once manned the lab, the room would be incredibly impressive. It was a tall room, centered around three tubes, which would usually be partitioned off with dull, patchy green curtains. All around the room machines hummed and sent a dull vibration into the soles of your feet. Monitors kept track of the vitals of these hulking metal beasts, and others made sure the precious experiments were still functioning. Right now the curtains were drawn back, the hum was quieter, and some monitors had fallen dark. Two figures floated in the tanks. Danny ran up to the tanks, panicked. Inside the middle tank Arin startled, and began to pound on the tube. From the slight pinkish tint to the water that Arin floated in, he had been doing that since he got there. There was no mark on the glass to prove his attempts. Barry, in the tube next to him, opened his eyes and pressed his palms against the glass. He mouthed to Danny, "Get out! Go!" Danny just turned to the control panels, searching for a way to let out his friends. Eventually, after failing to find a release switch, Danny just picked up a wrench. Brian must have been doing maintenance recently, and there were tools scattered on every surface. Mouthing an apology to Arin, Danny smashed the wrench into the glass tube. The glass cracked slightly, and another blow left spiderweb fractures across it. The pressure of the liquid inside began to widen the cracks. Danny did the same to Barry's and then waited. The tubes broke open in a flood of chemically treated water, glass shards, and two sopping wet viruses. Alarms began to blare, lights giving everything a faint red glow. Danny dropped the wrench, grabbed Arin and Barry's hands and took off running, practically dragging them through the hallways. They all clambered through the window Danny had broken earlier, and into the soft evening light. The sun was setting, and it looked almost like the first sunset the three of them had seen, years ago, all three of them bruised and wet and tired, leaning on each other just to be able to stand up. Arin spoke snapping Danny back to the present. "Where's Dan?"  
Danny shot one last look at the compound. "He said he'd meet us at home. Let's go there first." Barry slung an arm over Danny's shoulders. The three viruses slowly started making their way back towards the cave all three of them called home.


	7. Being Unconscious is Bad for Your Body and Mind

Dan limped through the hallways of the lab, a faint headache building as the alarms continued to blare. Eventually, after many wrong turns, Dan arrived in the containment room. Glass littered the floor, and the tiles were bleached it the pattern of a water spill. Puddles had formed in parts of the floor that had been worn downward by scientists walking back and forth, but the drains set about the room had disposed of most of the liquid. Dan smiled weakly. If the viruses had gotten out of this room, then they'd gotten out of the lab. Dan turned to go but the world spun and filled with static, and Dan sat down with a thump. It would probably be ok if he sat here for a little while, just to get his strength back. Then he would move on. He just needed to rest. The world faded to black, and Dan collapsed, rag-doll like, across the glass shards covering the floor. 

When Brian woke up, he woke up to the dull ringing of the alarm and a pounding headache. Using countertops to pull himself up to a more vertical position, he surveyed to swaying room. The first few attempts to walk failed horribly, staining his pants with chemicals and sending beakers and vials skittering across the floor. Eventually, Brian stood up and took wobbly steps to the control panel situated next to the door. Leaning most of his weight on the wall, he checked the damages to the lab and finally shut of the damn alarm. Two of the quarantine observation tubes had been heavily damaged but that seemed to be the extent of the damage, thankfully. Something bothered Brian though. Running scans revealed one life form still in the room. Not a virus, no. The machine would have picked them up first. Which meant someone had gotten in, or... Dan. The self-appointed defender of the viruses had stayed behind. Brian prepared himself for the long walk down to the lab. Attempting to take unassisted steps revealed his legs still felt like wet noodles. Brian took a push cart from up against the wall and slowly made his way to the main lab. 

The place was a wreck. The two glass tubes that had held Arin and Barry-no, had held the A-virus and the B-virus were completely shattered. There was glass scattered all over the floor, and several of the monitors he hadn't shut down were attempting to fix the problems in their systems. Brian wheeled his way across to the main monitor, to shut down such programs as water filtration and vitals monitoring, because apparently they weren't going to be useful for however long it took for him to fix the hardware, but his cart bumped into something. The something groaned. Brian sighed. He slowly turned the cart so he could confirm that yes, it was the bothersome Dan, but when he saw him, he stopped dead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep that's right it's a cliffhanger. I'm just, y'know, stretching my solo Angst muscles. If you haven't already checked out the Angst squad fic-Go Do It! I helped. :)


	8. Mandatory Fluff Break

By noon the three viruses had entered the outskirts of one of the ghost towns that had popped up with the duplicates. The three of them, worn down to the bone from fighting their way through thick bushes and past tall trees, silently agreed to stop and rest in one of their old hideouts. They made their way around to the back of a large house and Arin shoved over the garden gnome the key was hidden under. The storm cellar doors were pulled open and the three viruses descended into the little den they'd made so long ago. The storm cellar had been in a pretty sorry state when they'd first gotten into it. Back then, the worlds were still neat and separate, and all the viruses had known was the lab. The firm walls and dirty floor and shelves stocked with goodies made for the best hideout any of them could had asked for. Since then, the trio had grabbed lab coats, free couches, rugs, pillows, and anything else that was comfortable to make a nest where they could sleep. It was here that Arin, Barry, and Danny collapsed, the adventures of the last few days catching up to them. "It's safer to travel at night," Barry said around a yawn, "We all need sleep." Arin nodded slowly, eyes flickering closed. Danny only snored slightly. Barry smiled and slowly let himself fall asleep. When they awoke, the first golden rays of dawn were streaming in through the open doors. Arin sat up bleary eyed and asked, "Did we shut the door... Never mind, i guess we didn't." Barry extricated himself from the pile and went to bar the door, calling back, "I still think we should travel by night. Another day to recover won't hurt." Arin attempted to join Barry but found himself stopped by Danny, who sleepily protested his heat source being taken. Arin eventually gave up and Barry walked over to rejoin them. "A lazy day would be nice," Arin admitted. "We haven't had one of those in a long time." Barry settled himself in the nest, tugging Danny towards him so that the two others could use him as a pillow. "Glad I met you guys," came Danny's muffled voice, "missed you so much." Arin and Barry closed their eyes and relaxed into the nest. "Glad we met you too Danny." Arin said. Barry hummed in agreement. The three viruses drifted off into sleep.  
——————  
[Redacted] years ago  
Military Laboratory in [Redacted]  
Subject: Virus checkup. Stage four testing.

Danny was confused. For the longest time, all the white coats wanted to do was look at him in his glass tube and occasionally take him out to stick needles in him. Now they wanted to check his 'resistance to contraction of viruses with identical base characteristics but randomized mutations.' Whatever that meant. Usually Danny could pick up what the white coats wanted from him but now? He was just sitting in a room. The door slid open and someone walked in. Too short to be a white coat, and dressed entirely in red, including a mask and horns like Danny's. Danny was thrilled. "Hi! I'm D-virus, but you can call me Danny. It's what my main white coat does anyway." The other virus smiled slightly. "I'm A-Virus but the lab coats call me Arin." Danny couldn't wait anymore. He stood up, a bit wobbly still, but he determinedly started moving towards Arin. His new friend. Eventually he got there, and grabbed at Arin's shoulder. The two viruses beamed at each other, poking at the other's face and horns, their clean, pressed clothed getting wrinkled as the two laughed and played. Eventually the fun had to end. "Okay, D-Virus, you and A-Virus have to say goodbye now, but you'll see each other again soon." Danny sighed. "Bye Arin!" "Bye Danny!" As Danny was walked back to his tube, he heard one white coat remark to another, "I have no idea what possessed Dr, Wetch when he gave them names. It'll just make it harder in the long run." Danny decided then and there he wanted to thank Dr Wetch. And nothing was going to stop them from being friends too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like I'm forgetting something... Oh yeah Dan. Huh. Probably should figure out what's going on with him. Oh well.


	9. I Remember it Like a Wavy Flashback

[Redacted] years ago  
Military Laboratory in [Redacted]  
Subject: Virus testing for proficiency in evasion and free running interrupted. Please check with [Redacted] to make sure labs don't get double booked.

Danny and Arin loved the time they were allowed to spend together. It wasn't much, and it wasn't very ofter, but knowing there was someone else in the huge compound helped when you were being moved from test to test. They thought they were the only two in the lab that wasn't a white coat, until Danny saw a glimpse of yellow cloth in the obstacle course he was running. He grabbed it as he passed it, and passed it off to Arin as they passed in the hallway. They passed off the yellow scrap like that for ages, a reminder that they weren't alone in this laboratory. One day, while Danny was resting after his evasion testing, the door slid open and someone who wasn't Arin or a white coat walked in. He was dressed in yellow clothes that seemed more ragged than Danny's, and had two sets of goldenrod horns poking up through his hair. Danny was over the moon. "Who are you?" He asked, eyes wide and excited, "I'm Danny, but everyone calls me D-Virus instead." The yellow virus didn't reply. He bit his lip and looked down at the floor. Danny didn't care. "C'mon, are you here to test? Let's do it together!" This new person was going to be his friend. 

Barry had lived his whole existence in the lab thinking he was the only one being studied there. Thinking he was completely alone except for the scientists that made him run tests and took samples from him. They called him the B-Virus, except for one, who called him Barry. Barry latched onto that name. It was all he had. At least, that's what he thought, but then he met Danny. Barry had always been quiet, but seeing the energetic blue virus stunned him into silence. He wasn't alone? But, but that didn't make sense except it did, and maybe this was another test and he'd never see Danny again or-His thoughts were cut off by Danny pulling him up and starting the evasion test. Avoiding the disks was harder with someone else, who had their own ways of getting out of the way that occasionally bumped into you. Barry didn't mind, just like he didn't mind Danny's chattering as they ducked and weaved through the disks. Until Barry stumbled and Danny caught him before he could hit the ground, and hauled him back to his feet. Barry smiled slowly at Danny. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a disk headed straight for Danny's head. Barry dragged Danny down, letting a disk hit his ankle so the test would end. Lab hands came in to separate the two, but before they could, Barry smiled, a small smile, but happy, and said quietly, "Call me Barry." For the longest time, that would be Barry's happiest memory, only to be surpassed by breathing fresh air as they ran from the lab.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter, I promise we'll get back to the present day. Have you figured out why the viruses were made in this variation yet?


	10. Back to the Present

Present Day  
Abandoned Military Lab in Limbo  
Subject: N/A

Brian stared at Dan. The valiant protector of the small was collapsed on the floor. From this vantage point Brian could see faint red rashes on his arms. Brian blinked. He was pretty sure he'd only splashed one arm with chemicals in self defense. After a long moment Brian sighed, and with great difficulty, maneuvered Dan up on to the push cart. Brian had wanted to run tests on people from other worlds anyways, so this was just a convenient means to the end. It wasn't because Dan looked like roadkill or because Brian saw Dann-D-Virus when he looked at Dan. And definitely not because Brian felt responsible for letting the viruses run free. No, this was purely scientific. Brian began the tedious work of finding a room to examine Dan that wasn't too badly damaged. He could always fix the tanks later. He had all the time in the world. 

Dan, thankfully, stayed unconscious as Brian hooked him up to the the machines that would show the severity of whatever viruses Dan had in his system. Brian dozed in a nearby chair until the machine beeped. "All right, let's see what we have here," Brian said, pulling up the scan results. For a few seconds, the results didn't make sense. Dan definitely had contracted the D-virus within the last few days, but the scan indicated that A-virus and B-virus were also in Dan's system, albeit in smaller amounts. Things started to make sense after a moment. Arin, Barry, and Danny had been seen holding onto Dan's tunic, or gloved hand, or occasionally his sleeve. They weren't actively trying to infect Dan, but that didn't matter. Any skin to skin contact could pass on the virus. Dan's immune system must be strong to be able to fight these viruses off so well. Either that or he'd somehow gotten his hands on pills. Lost in thought, Brian swapped over to the general health screen. Looking back, he should have probably expected it, but for a few seconds he just looked at Dan. The scans indicated heavy bruising everywhere, presumably from falling off the goliath beast from earlier. There were two broken toes, and tiny fractures in several other bones. And he'd still chased after the viruses after taking down that monster and getting hit by those strange black beams. What was it Dan had said back in the storeroom? "I will chose their safety over mine." And here was the proof. Brian closed the scan windows and sat down. He was going to interrogate Dan when he woke up. Brian needed answers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for beating you up Dan. It was plot necessary. At least you're not dead?


	11. And We're Awake

Brian must have nodded off, because he woke up to Dan watching him from the table where he'd been examined. The warrior had pushed himself upright and was sitting crosslegged, all of the wires and patches Brian had put on him still attached and feeding data to the computer. "Good morning," Dan said, "I didn't know if taking these off would kill me so I've been waiting for you to get up."  
Brian blinked some of the sleep from his eyes. "It's just monitoring equipment. You can take it off."   
"Thanks."   
As Dan rid himself of the wires taking care not to tear anything, Brian stumbled over to the cabinet where he kept medication. Shaking an appropriate dosage of pills into his hand, he turned to see Dan standing, holding a chair back to steady himself. "Here," said Brian, holding out the pills, "This'll clear up your infections. The last thing I need is for the viruses to be puppeting you around as well as the other three." Dan took the pills and grimaced at the taste. "You do have some nifty stuff here," He said looking around the room. Brian snorted. "This room? It has the minimum amount of medical stuff you can have for it to be considered a med bay. You should see the actual hospitals."   
Dan nodded quietly. "Do I have the doctor's permission to leave?"   
He asked, sending an obvious glance at the door. Brian ignored the question, returning to the monitor with Dan's scans on it. "You're in very good shape for someone who fell off of a giant thing. I'd expect you to have broken a lot more bones than just toes."   
"It's called a colossus."  
"Is it now. Wanna explain the black thingys?"  
Dan shrugged. "Usually after I get hit by them I wake up uninjured in the temple where Arin-" Dan cut off suddenly.   
Brian filed that away for later, but didn't press it now. Dan had turned up in this limbo alone and desperate to go home. No one could get information about his home from him, just that he needed to go back. Any further questioning would end up with him halfway up a cliff, tree, or building. But now Dan had let slip that he had an Arin. For some reason it didn't surprise Brian too much. Almost like he'd heard about it before. Brian paused and cast his mind back. What had Dan said as they grappled in the storage room? "If I can't bring my Arin back, the least I can do is protect the others." That was it. Dan's Arin was dead. Brian turned to where Dan was standing, asking, "Are you avenging Ar-" The room was empty. Dan had left. 

Brian seemed to be engrossed in his screen, but Dan knew from the viruses' stories that his slip-up about Arin had not gone unnoticed. Dan took advantage of Brian's distracted state to swipe the pill bottle and a roll of bandages. Wait. Were those his bandages? Son of a bitch, they were his bandages. Why did Brian take his bandages and leave him with all of his other gear? Dan shot another look at Brian, who was staring at the screen blankly. Dan shrugged and left. He had kiddos to get back to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)


	12. Angst under construction, beware of falling dialogue

Brian stared frustrated at the spot where Dan had stood. It wasn't like Brian to turn his back on something and let it walk away. He was the viruses' monitor for goodness sake he should know by now not to look away from people. Looking around the room, Brian was thankful the only things missing were the pills and a roll of bandages Brian had found on the floor. They had been tattered and worn, definitely not up to code, and Brian had been looking forwards to burning them. If Dan needed bandages, then why wouldn't he go for the clean, packaged, clearly visible ones Brian had laying around. Brian switched mental tracks before he could get too carried away. It was just a roll of bandages. Walking out the door, Brian hesitated. Should he go after the viruses now? The Lab had no shortage of rooms to stick them in. He could just throw them in there with some food, and fix the tanks with the viruses in captivity. Brian shook his head. There was too much risk of escape. Besides, if they reunited with Dan, they'd be less paranoid, and less paranoia was something Brian could work with. To the Observation Lab it was. Time to fix those tubes.

Dan made it back to the cave around midday, the sun beating down on him as he walked through the thick forest. He'd bound up his injured arm early in the walk, and favored it the whole way back, just in case. Dan pushed the patchwork curtains aside and scanned the main cave for the kids. They weren't there. A thorough check through every side cave and passage revealed the same thing. Zip. Nada. Zilch. Dan grabbed a hunk of bread as he headed out. No use to anyone on an empty stomach, his Arin used to say. Better to eat beforehand then pass out in the heat of battle. Dan turned his sights to the small bustling burg down the other side of the mountain. If the trio had headed to an old hideout, Dan would find them. Taking a ferocious bite of bread, Dan started towards the town at a slight jog. The sun had just started to dip below the horizon.

The viruses made it to the cave as the last touches of sunset colored the sky. Pushing inside, they noticed the emptiness of the cave, but after walking all day, trying not to infect anything that would show where they had stayed, none of them were awake enough to worry. Arin flopped down on the tattered, secondhand couch, and Danny cuddled up next to him. Barr only joined after grabbing a blanket. The cave often got cold at night, and sometimes Arin wasn't warm enough. Barry tucked himself into Arin's side and fell asleep right next to his two best friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I'd better get back to writing.


	13. Lucky Number 13

Brian pushed his way into a storage room, searching for a couple replacement parts. Danny, no, D-virus, had royally fucked up several systems with his stunt and the spilled treated water had destroyed a few wires. Brian dug around in a old cardboard box and lost his balance, tipping backwards and taking the box with him. Cursing his legs, Brian stood up to find a nest. Made of lab coats and a blanket, it was obvious a virus had stayed here. Maybe all three. They had been smaller once upon a time. It wasn't outside the realm of possibility. And who would think to look here, in an auxiliary storage closet with cardboard boxes and old metal shelving units that no one would visit unless they didn't have the passcode for the main storage labs. Not that Brian was mad at that, no, he just had to repair high tech equipment with whatever a mid level doctor could access. Easy as pie. Brian spotted a glint in the nest. Reaching in, he pulled out a lanyard and ID tag. His younger face stared back at him. The tag had been crumpled a bit, the lamination slightly creased. The lanyard looked worn and frayed. Brian suddenly realized the parts could wait. Right now he needed to go sit down. 

[Redacted] years ago  
Military Laboratory in [Redacted]  
Subject: Keep your eyes on the fucking experiments. Wecht: See me in my office. 

Barry huddled in the nook he'd made behind several boxes in a rarely used room. Danny was pressed up into his side, crying almost silently. Occasionally he would give a hiccup and his eyes would widen and he would bite down on his lip and listen for anyone coming to take them back. Eventually the alarm ringing outside the door shut down and a muffled broadcast scratched through the air, ordering a search of every room. The two sat in silence and waited, frozen in place as footfalls passed by the door. At one point it clicked open, and in the bright white light that poured in through the door, Barry could see tear tracks on Danny's face. Danny was holding something. Brian-no, he lost the right to be called Brian when he took Arin-Dr. Wecht's ID, most likely. The door closed and the footsteps moved away. Danny's voice was whisper soft and Barry almost missed it. "Why does everything nice just end up hurting us?" Barry just pulled Danny closer. The plastic crinkled in Danny's hands as he clenched them into fists. "I'm going to kill him, I'm going to kill him. He took Arin, we have to go back, I need Arin and you to be safe." Barry nodded. "Of course we're going back for Arin." Danny hiccuped again. Someone ran past their door and they both tensed. Hide and go seek, they could do that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, the sweet taste of pain in the morning.


	14. Stuff. And things.

Present Day  
The Abandoned Lab in Limbo  
Subject: Why am I even doing this anymore. There's no one else here.

Brian turned the ID over in his hand. It was a physical reminder of the time he wasn't just medical personnel but one of the scientists in charge of engineering viruses. Brian looked at his face glaring out through the ID, promising the wearer full access to anywhere in the lab as befit the station Brian had once occupied. Anywhere in the lab. He stood up, steadied himself on the wall, and walked towards the actual storage areas. Brian smiled, thoughts focusing as he calculated the chances his ID would have been deactivated. After all, everyone who asked just got the same answer. It had already been taken from him. Searches had shown he didn't have it on him, so his story had been accepted. Brian flashed the old ID at the scanner. The lock beeped and the light turned green. "Good evening, Dr. Wecht. It has been eighteen months since your last visit to lab storage. In fact, it has been eighteen months since your last visit to anywhere in the lab." Brian smiled. "Hello S.U.Z.Y." It was good to be back. 

Two months ago  
Various points across the multiverse  
Subject: Someone done fucked up

Brian heard a slightly dissonant melody float through the air. It was giving him a headache. It built and built and built, making it hard to concentrate on the viruses' video feeds. It became all encompassing, and Brian turned to ask if anyone else heard it when it stopped and everyone disappeared. By the time Brian turned back to the feeds, the viruses had figured out their observers were gone and started to try doors and windows to try to escape. Brian caught them pushing their way through the door on camera. He picked up his bag and started after them.

Dan stood on a cliffside, eyes on the goal. A colossus awaited him if he could just get up this cliff, and if that damned music would go away. Dan didn't even know when it started, just that it made it hard to think, made it hard to focus on anything but it. It swelled and surged and Dan couldn't think of anything but it and then he was falling because the cliff wasn't there anymore, just trees and empty space. At least the music was gone. 

Dan looked at his fairy companion as they walked. "You hear that?" Arin settled on Dan's shoulder. "Yeah." Dan was tired and sore from fighting a through a stupid dungeon, and Arin was tired from watching Dan's back. The music got louder. They walked on a little farther. The world melted away in a strange swirl of color and they were suddenly face to face with someone in a pink tunic that looked an awful lot like Arin. The blue clad fairy on his shoulder said dryly, "Told you so." The pink warrior scowled at the fairy and replied, "shut up Dan."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm gonna nap now


	15. And we welcome you back from our commercial break

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the weird break there, I was afflicted with writers block.

Dan came home, exhausted, worried, still a bit rankled from the lab, but for once, not infected. To their credit the viruses had been so careful, but sometimes when they were in danger, Dan couldn't help skin to skin contact. At first they'd fussed over him, but Dan had kept riding after getting hit with the souls of the colossuses or whatever the dark arrows were, and he swore he could keep riding through this. They backed off. Now, Dan's head was clear. His decision was made. He went to the back room and walked out with what he needed. Dan tucked another blanket around the three sleeping kiddos, carefully arranged pillows around them, set out bowls of cereal, and slumped into his old dusty armchair, ready to keep watch. 

Barry woke up with his face burrowed into Danny's shoulder, and realized he didn't even want to move. But something was different, hadn't he only brought one blanket? Why were the pillows in a nest? Had they made one? He squinted, bleary eyed, at the table. His eyes traveled over to the chair and there was Dan. Dan. Dan came back for them. He'd set out color coordinated bowls and remembered their favorite cereals. And now, here he was, passed out in his old armchair. Barry nudged the other two awake and smiled broadly as the other two realized what happened. Arin and Danny scrambled off the couch, freeing Barry to go after them, as exited as they were. Danny tugged on Dan's tunic frantically, swiping tears of joy from his eyes. Arin bounced impatiently and eventually broke down and cried out, "Dad, wake up, wake up, you cane back!" Dan's eyes fluttered open and he yawned. He looked down at Arin bemusedly.   
"Did you just call me dad?" Dan stood up, stretching. Barry offered him his gloves. "I mean, I'm not opposed to you guys calling me dad," he said pulling on his gloves and tussling Barry's hair. "But you have to prepare for dad jokes if you do." Arin beamed. Danny shadowed Dan as he sat down at the table, pulling out arrowheads to sharpen. The three viruses descended on the food like a swarm of flies. Outside, the sun was just breaking over the horizon. It looked like a good day.  
\-------------  
Sixteen months before the Universe Collision  
Military Research Lab in [Redacted]  
Subject: Isolation studies. 

Brian watched through the window as the three kids, no, he reminded himself, as the three viral weapons, played tag in the examination room. He looked at his clipboard again. Outside, thunder roared, rain beat down on the windows, the storm continued raging. Brian scanned his ID and entered. Danny immediately stopped in his tracks. "Mr. Brian, have you got something new to teach us?" Brian swallowed his guilt. It was his own damn fault for letting himself get so attached. "I actually do. But I need you and B-vir- Barry to stand against that far wall, and for Arin to come over here." Danny ran off to do his bidding, dragging a slightly less excited Barry behind him. Arin trotted up to him, curious as well. Once the others two viruses were up against the wall, Brian quickly injected Arin with a knockout fluid. Arin went limp, and the others started running, desperate, but they were too far away. Brian scanned his ID, but as he was leaving, he looked back, looked back at the children running after him, and slipped the lanyard off his neck, throwing the ID into the room. He'd propped open the door to Arin's new room beforehand. Somewhere, in his heart of hearts, he knew that he would go through with this plan. Arin's body felt heavy on his shoulder. Brian kept walking. The storm was dying. It looked like a good day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well now you know how B&D escaped and Brian lost his job. Also, half a mandatory fluff chapter. I tried.


	16. And Now The Pain Begins In Earnest

Arin curled up into Danny's side. Dan had gone out and gotten them donuts and pizza, fresh and hot and not from a dumpster, and it did wonders for Arin. Hot food, Dan being back, Barry reading a book on the floor and Danny already asleep and softly snoring, and yet something still bothered Arin. The viruses healed fast, they were engineered to, but Dan had insisted on bandaging up the bloody sides of Arin's hands from where Arin had pounded on the tank. Arin still felt tense, still felt trapped, but Dan was sitting where he could watch the door, and Barry was safe next to the couch, and Danny turned in his sleep and began to drool on Arin's shoulder and maybe Arin should get some sleep. Everyone was safe. Arin's eyes drifted shut. 

He was in the lab. Danny had been running towards him, Danny and the other one, the one who dressed in yellow why couldn't he remember who he was he was B-virus, and that's all Arin knew right now. He had a name but he wasn't here Danny and B-virus weren't here he had been grabbed and knocked out and everyone was yelling outside and everything was flashing and Arin was trapped and he could hear people yelling about an escape and Arin squeezed his eyes shut and hoped and when he opened them he was in his tube and there was no one. And there was no one coming for him. B-Virus and Danny had escaped. They were free, free to run away and Arin pounded on his glass and the world turned a fuzzy pink and suddenly he could hear Danny pleading with him, telling him to wake up, wake up please Arin you're scaring up, and Arin's eyes snapped open.   
He was on the couch, drenched in sweat, and Danny was hugging him so tightly, so close together, and Barry, not B-Virus, never B-virus ever again was pinning his arms to his side with a blanket and Dan was carding through Arin's hair and murmuring quiet condolences and Arin was shaking. Barry let Arin pull his arms free. There were ugly red scratched in bright red down both of their arms. Arin touched the ones on Barry lightly. "Shh," Dan whispered, working through a tricky tangle, "you're going to be okay soon, it was a dream, you're safe now, you're with us." Arin didn't want to fall back asleep. But the weight of Barry and Danny on either side of him and the feeling of Dan combing through his hair was compelling and Arin drifted off into a light, fitful sleep. No one else followed his lead. It was a long night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Shrugs apologetically* More chapters should be coming soon but marching band is kicking my butt. Sorry.


	17. What's this? A long chapter? Say it ain't so!

Dan awoke in his chair, breaths coming heavy and hard. Danny and Barry had fallen asleep a few hours after dawn, and though Arin had woken up a few times, no more nightmares that made him scratch at his arms and legs had occurred. Dan must have fallen asleep himself, but thankfully not muh time seemed to have passed. Standing up, his back cracked and popped as he stretched and twisted, trying to get all the kinks out. Walking over to the 'kitchen', he helped himself to a donut from the box on the counter. The three viruses were fast asleep, but Danny was beginning to writhe and cry out in his sleep. Dan carefully pulled Danny out from the pile and held him in a tight hug. "There we go kitten, shh, you're home, you're safe, the others are right here." He continued murmuring comforting sounds and phrases until Danny settled down. Dan carefully lifted Danny back onto the couch and watched as the kid sleepily gravitated towards Arin and Barry. The air outside was sharp and bright, a perfect spring morning. Or what could pass as spring in this limbo. No one was quite sure if the seasons would change here or not. Dan's eyes began to slide shut when Barry let out a strangled cry of fear and Dan shook himself back awake and went to go soothe the child.  
\---------  
2 months after Universe Collision  
Abandoned Lab in Limbo  
Subject: Dealing with redacted stuff all over the logs

Brian sighed happily. The core lab was up and running again, all the tubes and monitors replaced, the floor mopped, the computing systems turned on, and thankfully, the whole compound turning solar energy into electricity instead of relying on backup energy cells, faulty wind turbines, or hydroelectric turbines that didn't really have water to turn them anymore. The solar had been taken down for maintenance when the discordant music had ripped Brian, the lab, and the viruses from their home universe and Brian didn't have the clearance to turn it back on until he found his old ID. Brian scowled at the completely functional lab. Now he had no choice but to go after the escaped experiments. But befor he went running after them... Brian threw together a quick program to unlock any redacted stuff on the logs from the past. It was usually just the date or location, but there were some files that were just off limits that piqued his curiosity. He threw a bag over his shoulder and put the lab into as safe of a lockdown as he could. "See you soon Dr. Wecht!" S.U.Z.Y. called out. Brian walked off into the crisp spring air.  
\---  
[Redacted]  
Removing Security Levels  
[Red@cted][#%dac$ed]  
Removing Security Levels:In Process  
Corruption Detected  
Attempting Data Recovery  
[Redac-months ago.  
Military Lab in California  
$ub;ect:Timeline and Deployment of Viru$3s

Subject:Devel0pment of Serums pos~pon•d

S^!ject: Effects o{ Long Term :nfection on staff m:mb3r  
Br!@errorerrorerrorerrorerro

Data Recovery Incomplete  
\-----------  
Date:unavailable  
Location:unavailable  
Subject:somethings wrong

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A double update? From the queen of disappearing? *gasps*


	18. In which stuff happens and the author is a horrible person

Dan was too tense to sleep. Arin, Danny, and Barry were all curled up together on the floor, playing ds games with a strange, almost desperate, cheer, like they could ignore the nightmares that had occurred last night if they tried hard enough. And for now, that was alright. Dan's eyes were scratchy and his arms felt like lead and he drifted slowly into sleep. His eyes snapped open. It was storming outside. His kiddos were gone, and the only thing left behind was a scrap of fabric, red and vibrant, torn from Arin's clothes. Dan rushed out the entrance of the cave still in rumpled dirty clothes, without even his equipment, panicked and frenzied, stumbling through trees, his internal monologue screaming at him to _save them save them save them save Arin save him no matter the cost or outcome, no matter what save Arin, bring him back, fix what happened to him, save Arin._ Dan stumbled out of the trees and a colossus loomed over Dan, and he nocked an arrow, ready to save Arin, save his kiddos and save Arin too, his Arin, even if he had to fight every colossus between here and Brian's lab, even if he ended up dead. The arrow flew straight and true through the storm that was tearing branches off trees and pelting him with rain and small hailstones, making bushes shed their new flower buds at the force of the rain. The arrow struck home and thunder roared and Dan woke up shivering in his armchair, the last traces of thunder rumbling outside, a light spring rain falling outside. Dan peeled the note stuck to his forehead off, and read over the loopy, childish handwriting fondly. The kids (his kids) had moved further back in the cave to escape the storm, but didn't want to wake him because he hadn't gotten a lot of sleep the night before. Dan stretched and shot a look at the cave entrance. He froze, then lunged for his bow. Brian stood there, drenched to the bone, heaving air into his lungs as if he'd run a mile. He met Dan's eyes, his own fever bright and slightly unfocused. "You can't trust them," he said with what composure he could muster, standing in to door way, looking like a drowned cat. "You can't-" He collapsed to the floor, unconscious. Dan watched, an arrow already on his bowstring, half tempted to kill him where he lay. Then he sighed, and slung his bow over his back. "Guys? There's been a... complication. You might want to come look at this." He turned to go make sure they heard him, leaving Brian to soak in the rain. It served him right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can tear dream sequences away from my cold dead hands ok.


	19. Relizations are Had.

"What are we gonna do with him?"  
That was Danny, partially hidden behind Arin. The time between Dan going to fetch the trio and the sentence had seemed to stretch into eternity, like the world was unsure whether it would keep spinning. "Well," Dan said, looking at the labcoat-wearing mound outside the cave, "We should move him inside, and check for a fever? Or whatever made him pass out like that." Arin made an unenthusiastic noise. "Yeah. I don't like him either." Dan said moving to the entryway and sliding the man inside. "Danny, Arin, could you run to town and get us something to eat? Like pizza or donuts or some shit. I just think I'll need junk food very soon." Dan tossed his wallet at the two and they scampered out of the door. "Barry, I'm going to need you to bring me a bottle of meds, bandages, and a couple of rags. After that you need to stay out of the way." Barry took off through the cave, grabbing the stuff Dan needed. Dan turned his attention to the pitiful lump on the floor. Rashes, bumps, various cuts, scrapes, and bruises, elevated heart rate, and a shivering that wouldn't go away. Dan sighed. Why did he always end up with the ones who forgot to take care of themselves. Barry reentered, and said "I got everything I think? But there were two different types of pills so I just grabbed them both."  
"Thanks Barry. Set them down over here?" Barry dropped his load on the couch and smiled at Dan before disappearing into the depths of the cave. Dan picked up the two pill bottles. One was the one he'd been self-medicating from. The other was the one he'd swiped from the lab. It's label read 'Long-Term Viral Exposure Cure'. The label was peeling in a corner. Dan picked at it, uncovering a hand written label underneath. It read, 'Placebo Sugar Pills for trial on Dr. Wecht. No real medical value, for experiment ABD-7 only'. Dan set it down with a sigh. "Well," he said to the sleeping scientist, "It looks like you're due for some actual meds."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm a terrible parent to this story.  
> Also if you don't know, Placebo is a really cool and powerful thing that happens a lot, especially in medicine. Look it up. It's really cool.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm bluebelladon on tumblr but you won't find much fic there. Also check out legendofgrump if you haven't already. This AU their baby, I'm just borrowing it to write fic.


End file.
